I graduated from Towson with a Bachelor's in Social Studies/Secondary Education. I currently teach 8th Grade American History in Ellicott City, MD. I completed my first Master's program through McDaniel College and hold a degree in Curriculum and Instruction, as well as certification in Administration/Supervision. I am taking this class as part of my second Master's program. Upon completion of this program I will be certified to teach both Social Studies and Math.
What is Web 2.0?Web 2.0 refers to the next generation of web tools. Web 2.0 does not mean that there were specific upgrades from previous tools, but rather a general change in the types of sites created and the way they are used. Most of these changes involve more opportunities for people to collaborate online. Some examples of Web 2.0 sites include blogs, wikis, and social networking sites.
Learning Task #4: Top Ten Virtual Manipulatives
(I spent a lot of time on the fraction ones because that's what I'm teaching in summer school right now)
10: Virtual Protractor - Students can use this as an intro or to practice using a protractor to measure angles 4.MD.C.6
9: Zooming Number Line - This number line allows students to apply knowledge about positive and negative integers 6.NS.C.5, as well as an understanding of place value, to estimate the location of digits on a number line 5.NBT.A.1.
8: Online Spinner - Students can use this manipulative to create a spinner with a specified number of parts to investigate experimental probability 7.SP.C.5 & 7.SP.C.6.
7: Visualizing Fractions - This manipulative is cool because it requires that students demonstrate that they know what the numerator ad denominator represent by first splitting the whole into the correct number of parts, and then shading the correct amount 3.NF.A.1
6: Virtual GeoBoards - These could be used to help illustrate the concept of slope 7.RP.A.2, or to allow younger students to investigate shapes 1.G.A.1 - 1.G.A.3.
5: Fraction Tiles - These tiles allow students to discover the relationship between fractions with different denominators 4.NF.A.1 and investigate combinations that make up one whole 5.NF.A.1
4: Spinner and Histogram - This spinner allows students to build a customized spinner and investigate experimental probability7.SP.C.5 & 7.SP.C.6, but it also allows them to build a histogram to record the results to analyze later or compare to theoretical probabilities 7.SP.C.7
3: Fraction Bars from Math Playground - This could be use to allow students to investigate equivalent fractions with unlike denominators 3.NF.A.2
2: Drop Zone - This game is a fun and engaging way to allow students to practice adding and subtracting fractions with like and unlike denominators 5.NF.A.1
1: State and Province Data Maps - I LOVED these! They could be used to allow students to analyze and compare data from two populations 7.SP.B.3 and use the data to support information learned in Social Studies classes!
Learning Task #5
I use GAFE daily at school, so I already had several forms that fit the criteria for this task. I just provided the links for those. I hope that's OK! If not, please let me know and I'll create new ones!
Student: I created this form this past October to review field trip behavior expectations before our grade-wide trip to Mount Vernon, VA. The entire 8th grade completed the form through their Social Studies classes.
Colleague:This form was created as an Intro to a GAFE Forms training I planned for the 8th grade team. I believe it was in November. I used it to show my team how to create different types of questions, to facilitate a discussion on how these types of questions and forms can be used in different contents, and to teach them how to view, organize, and use the data they provide in the "View Responses" page.
CCSS.Math.Content.8.SP.A.2...Know that straight lines are widely used to model relationships between two quantitative variables. For scatter plots that suggest a linear association, informally fit a straight line, and informally assess the model fit by judging the closeness of the data points to the line.
Lesson Launch: View the first 1:12 of the video. This will allow students to understand how the information is being presented, but without hearing the narrator discuss too much about what you can do with this information.
Task Question: Can we use this information to predict the time in which the 2016 Gold Medalist will run the 100-m dash? If so, what will that time be?
Activity: Give students a copy of the graph with axes and labels, and allow them to explore the pattern created by the data points and create a line of best fit. Students will use that line to predict the 2016 gold medal time.
Closure: After answering the task question, discuss what would impact whether our prediction was accurate.
Swimming Video:
CCSS.Math.Content.8.SP.A.2 Know that straight lines are widely used to model relationships between two quantitative variables. For scatter plots that suggest a linear association, informally fit a straight line, and informally assess the model fit by judging the closeness of the data points to the line.
Lesson Launch: First 2:00 of video (stop when it mentions 45 second mark)
Task Question: In what Olympics will swimmer break the 45 second barrier?
Activity: Allow students to explore the data. Allow them to input it into their calculator to develop an equation for the line of best fit, and use this to predict when swimmers will be able to swim the 100-m freestyle in 45 seconds or less.
Closure: View the rest of the video. Were their responses close? This relies on the pattern continuing. Do you think it will? Will it always continue? When will it stop?
Long Jump Video:
CCSS.Math.Content.8.SP.A.1
Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities. Describe patterns such as clustering, outliers, positive or negative association, linear association, and nonlinear association.
Lesson Launch: Show entire video.
Task Question: What variable do you think has the biggest impact on the jump distance? Investigate and explore the correlation between your variable and the distance.
Activity: After the video, discuss how this video is different from the other two. (The data in the other two suggested that speed was a factor of what year the event occurred). In this video, the longest distance was not the most recent. Discuss the other variables that the video suggested may have impacted the distance. Have students brainstorm other variables that may have contributed. Allow them to select whichever they want and find the data to support it. Students will then create a graph and analyze the correlation between their variable and the jump distance.
Closure: Share findings with class. Which variable has the highest correlation coefficient?
Quizlet: Quizlet is an online flashcards website and mobile app. My Social Studies students use it, too, to learn vocabulary and names. It is easy to use on the computer or on a mobile device, and it incorporates different games on each device for the students to practice. It could be used in math classes for vocabulary (ie. types of quadrilaterals), or to practice basic facts (times table). (basic fact practice)
Make 24 Lite: Make 24 is a game that allows students to practice and apply number sense by making 24 using 4 random numbers and the four basic operations. It requires that students think about how the numbers relate to each other and to the outcome of 24. (number sense development)
Threes: Threes is a super fun puzzling game in which there are multiple challenges involving numbers, adding them together, forming patterns, and using logic to gain the highest score possible. It is a great way for students to use math concepts especially during down time. It allows them to have fun and still use math! (puzzler/problem solver)
Virtual Manipulatives! (iPad only): This is a great manipulative for fractions, decimals, and percents. It provides color-coded fraction bars (cuisenaire rods) that allow students to investigate and visualize equivalent fractions, as well as their percent and decimal equivalents. It could be used to introduce students to the concepts, or allow them to independently review the concept as an intervention. (manipulative)
Fraction Plus: This is a fraction calculator that allows students to perform basic operations with fractions and mixed numbers. It even converts improper fractions to mixed numbers. I wouldn't let students rely on it; I would still want them to know and explain how they determined their answer. However, it allows less confident students to check their work. (tool)
How have your thoughts about technology/web 2.0 changed or have been validated through the course? My thoughts about technology/web 2.0 have been validated throughout this course. I have long felt that technology, for many reasons, is a necessary part of any classroom at any level. Teachers should not rely solely on technology, but it can be a useful and, in some cases, irreplaceable, tool.
What did you like about the course?Some of the tools and resources we used and learned about in this course were ones that I had used before. Many, however, were new to me. This was my favorite thing about this course; the opportunity to explore new tools and resources and the ways they can be used in my Social Studies AND Math classrooms.
What should be done differently?Nothing. I thought the course was well-conducted. I enjoyed it. The assignments were well-paced, instructive, and clear, and the feedback was constructive, fair, and timely. Even not meeting as a whole class I still felt like it was very collaborative because we were able to explore what other students had done and different ways that the learning tasks had been approached. I was able to collaborate with one other student, Alison, who teaches at my school. We were able to work together and review each other's work.
How will your experiences in the course impact your teaching next year (or in the future)?Over the last few years I have been able to incorporate, at my own pace and based on my own technology awareness and confidence, various tech and web tools into my classroom. This course will change my teaching in the future by adding to my repertoire of tools and resources. I will be able to introduce my students to even more tools and resources to help with intervention, instruction, and enrichment. I am looking forward to incorporating many of these already this fall.
Kalina Salsman • ksalsm1@students.towson.edu
Bio
I graduated from Towson with a Bachelor's in Social Studies/Secondary Education. I currently teach 8th Grade American History in Ellicott City, MD. I completed my first Master's program through McDaniel College and hold a degree in Curriculum and Instruction, as well as certification in Administration/Supervision. I am taking this class as part of my second Master's program. Upon completion of this program I will be certified to teach both Social Studies and Math.Learning Task #1
Learning Task #2
Learning Task #3
Learning Task #4: Top Ten Virtual Manipulatives
(I spent a lot of time on the fraction ones because that's what I'm teaching in summer school right now)
Learning Task #5
I use GAFE daily at school, so I already had several forms that fit the criteria for this task. I just provided the links for those. I hope that's OK! If not, please let me know and I'll create new ones!
Learning Task #6
Learning Task #7
Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities. Describe patterns such as clustering, outliers, positive or negative association, linear association, and nonlinear association.
Learning Task #8
Learning Task #9
Mobile Apps Project
Learning Task #10